Wellesley based Natural Healthcare Inc. filed an application of intent with the Mass. Department of Public Health (DPH) in June 2015 for a certificate to operate a medical marijuana dispensary. Natural Healthcare listed Stephen Barber as its chief executive officer and provided a certificate of incorporation in Massachusetts dated June 2015 in its application. Natural Healthcare spoke to the Old Dover Neighborhood Association about its proposal in December and the Blackstone/Franklin Square Neighborhood Association (B/FSNA) at its January 19 meeting.

John Connelly of the Old Dover Neighborhood Association said that Old Dover heard a proposal from Natural Healthcare at their December meeting. Connelly said, "We decided to defer any decision or substantive conversation in the interest of time and to let more people know about it." B/FSNA president Eric Huang had this to say via e-mail ahead of the Tuesday, January 19 meeting, which was to take place just after press time for this newspaper. "I have not heard much specific feedback on the proposal, but there is clearly general reluctance to introduce a new service into an area that is already oversaturated with services and drug abuse issues. Also, we just learned about the proposal at the South End Forum meeting last Tuesday and only received presentation material last night, which I distributed to our mailing list today, so people likely have not had the opportunity yet to form a position. I think residents are looking forward to meeting with the applicants this evening and hearing from them directly about their proposal before forming an opinion."

The Bob Minnocci, a Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association board member who was chairman of a task force on the 2013 application to open a dispensary on Southampton Street by Green Heart, a California-based medical marijuana dispensary operator, to open a dispensary at 70 Southampton Street. Green Heart ultimately failed to win state approval. "WSANA vehemently opposed it. Councilors Wu, Baker and Tito Jackson were all on our side and wrote letters opposing this location given all that is already going on in the neighborhood. We don't need tons of marijuana out there that could easily be misused. Speaking for myself, I can't imagine under any circumstances WSANA supporting a location anywhere in the South End. I am going to urge all other neighborhood associations to vehemently oppose any kind of placement like that." Minnocci added that the Mayor's Office told him that a permit had been issued for the one Suffolk County dispensary permit to be located on Milk Street. Earlier in the South End Forum meeting during a discussion of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program's proposed site at Mass. Ave. and Albany Street for drug users to be supervised while on a heroin high, WSANA president George Stergios referred to the Worcester Square area addiction-services nexus as "Methadone Mile". Fox said that the South End Forum has not taken a position on the dispensary application as yet, but raised the idea of the Forum "codifying" a position against any additional drug-treatment services "unless it has been thoroughly vetted and approved by the appropriate authorities. Fox pointed out that although Mayor Walsh may be opposed to more than one medical marijuana dispensary in the city, it is the state's authority to issue the licenses and to set the number of licenses issued. Fox suggested adding the issue to the March South End Forum meeting agenda.